I agree that coinmarketcap.com is weak. I am most interested in the
Total Network Value metric on
ripplecharts.com, for long term network growth perspective. It reflects not only the value of XRP, but also the total value of assets traded on the network. I am not focused on short term speculation, however, so it may be a less useful metric for others.
I disagree that the breadth of XRP utility limits its potential exchange value. XRP can be used to make payments directly, the same as with any cryptocurrency. Everything else is in addition. If Bitcoin added multi-currency support---requiring the usage of BTC for that functionality---I would consider that a plus in support of BTC's future potential exchange value. In no way does XRP providing that utility guarantee the price will rise, but it does introduce
additional future potential justification for a rise in exchange value.
I'm not invested in ripple atm but do agree, I think it only takes a glance at ripple to see they have the formula for success, all the right people on board and all the right palms ready to grease. even if what we have today is a bastardization of fuggers original vision, it's understandable why RL took the approach they have. They're operating at levels litecoin-fork shitcoin creators couldn't dream of and got VC cash to burn through, partnerships on tables, keynotes to deliver. They will be operating like a well oiled machine, marching forward strategically while people here are still stuck on digging out dogcoins with dusty gpu's hoping to get rich
I see ripple/btc a bit like money & antimoney
http://phys.org/news/2014-04-econophysics-antimoney-financial-crisis.html Both can be complimentary and Ripple has some obvious direct benefits and some non-obvious benefits to traditional finance system for an average guy that end up trickling down, giving rl themselves a good value proposition. The kind of infrastructure they have built, the kinds of people they can appease with their polish is more favorable as a natural evolution or re-vision of legacy finance system than bitcoin is, although btc-> bank bridge like epiphyte for bitcoin helps a little.
I see no reason that the market, especially big players won't drive price this 'anti-spam' token up further than they have already, it's the closest they have to shares in the ripple protocol actually using xrp directly as a 'currency' is a further stretch, Even bitcoin suffers the same pitfalls, switching between a hoarded commodity and currency. Suppose at the end of the day anything can happen- all it takes is a combined belief of many.
Do you have any evidence that Ripple Labs is making money... and not just burning through cash?
With > 100 employees they are burning through at least $20,000,000/year. Maybe more.
Does XRP legally entitled anyone to a "share" of anything?
Can XRP be done away with in a major merger with a bank and replaced by a stock offering for employees?
Ripple started as a kind of "people's money" with "trust circles"...
But it was all complete bullshit as a way of co-opting the Bitcoin ecosystem to bootstrap a banking network.
The Ripple executives are completely ruthless and untrustworthy...
They don't give a shit about small users or small investors except to use them for liquidity and PR.
That's why I will trade almost anything... but would never touch XRP.
"Ruthless" seems to be one of the main traits for the people on the billionaires list. Sometimes you make money riding on the back of the ruthless and sometimes you lose it all.
I would just hate to be the person at work a year from now doing the daily grind overhearing a little prick's conversation saying "Dude, I'm telling you, buy this thing called XRP at 3 dollars a piece and you will retire in 10 years." All while you could of bought it at $.008